Flooring or other lumber



UNITED STAT-13s- PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK. J. FELDMANN, OFDETR-OIT, MICHIGAN.

FLOORING OR OTHER LUMBER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 502,289, dated August 1, 1893.

Application filed May 31, 1892l Serial No. 434,846. (No specimens.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FRANK. J. FELDMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have 'invented a certain new and useful Improvement invFlooring or other Lumber; and I declare the following to be a full, clear,`and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the saine, referencebeinghad to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of lumber adapted for a variety of uses, such as flooring, siding, wainscoting, ceiling, ship-lap, German-siding, and for analogous uses.

More particularly my invention relates to the construction of the joint, at the edges of the board.

I carry out my invention as hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the ligure is a view in perspective illustrating 'my invention. p

A and A represent two adjoining boards. One edge of the board A is formed with a tongue a extending on curved lines from the upper surface of the board to a point a. at its outer extremity, said point terminating intermediate the upper and lower surfaces of the board.y The opposite or under surface of the board A is rabbeted out, as shown at a2,

at the edge, the rabbet extending from the said point rearward and downward as shown. The edge of the adjacent board A is shaped to conform to the tongued and rabbeted edge of the board A above described. To this end the board A is constructed with a curved recess at as to receive the corresponding tongue a extending from the upper surface on a curved line inward to a point at a4 intermediate of the surfaces of the board A', leaving a small upper projection a5 to lap over the to extend into the corresponding rabbet a.

It will be observed that with a joint formed with ogee curves as above described, the upbe with a flat surface.

per edges of the boards are made rounding which will very materially assist in preventing the liability of breakage in handling, as the edge is not left sharp and thin as it would j Moreover, the proj ection and corresponding recess being in the form of an ogee curve, the nail enters the hollow portion of the recess and can be inserted or driven in more nearly vertical than when the lumber is constructed with a straight inclined surface. The hollow portion of the recess forms a sort of bearing for the end of the nail in driving, so that it may be driven more nearly vertical. The operation of nailing is also greatly facilitated, as when the nail is set in the hollow of the curve it is just in the right place to be driven into the board. It also permits of the nails being driven down farther from the top of the board than with a Vstraight inclined surface, which will allow more Wear of the lumber before the head of the nail is reached.

C denotes a gutter located below the joint, extending longitudinally upon the projection a6, to carry off any water that may enter at the joint so as to make the joint practically water tight. Owing to the fact that the gutter is located in the thin projection a6 it is very desirable that the surface of said projection and the corresponding surface of the adjacent board,l be made parallel with the outer surfaces of the boards, so that in shrinking, the portion of the projection beyond the gutter will not be so liable to be split and torn off as would be the case if said surfaces were inclined or wedge shaped. So also the surfaces of the boards are provided with gutters C and O2.at each side of the joint to carry off the Water and prevent in a large measure the entrance of the water into the joint. This construction is especially adapted for roofin g, iiooring and siding for car building.

What I claim as my invention is As a new article of manufacture, a board for iiooring and like uses, the top surface of which is provided with a longitudinal groove or channel, near each edge, and Vrone of the edges of the board is provided with a recess, one side of which is formed on anv-ogee curvo, and the other side is formed on a straight line IOO line parallel with the sides or surfaces of the boards, whereby a thin projection is formed upon the lower side of the board, said projection being provided with a longitudinal groove upon the inner straight side of the recess, and the opposite edge of the board is provided with a tongue to t the recess, the upper surface of which tongue is formed on an ogee curve and the lower surface is fiat and parallel with the sides of the board to xo correspond with the straight surface of the recess, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK. J. FELDMANN. Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, JOHN F. MILLER. 

